1. Field of Invention
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus utilizing a portable device including an extended array sensor. In particular, the present invention relates to a hand-held portable device including an array sensor that extends around portions of the device aside from or in addition to a portion including a keypad.
2. Description of Related Art
Presently, mobile communication devices and hand held portable devices such as mobile phones, pagers, portable games, remote controls, and the like, provide communication and other functionality for users on the go. For example, a user with a mobile phone can place a call while engaging in another activity, such as walking. Unfortunately, the user may not hold the mobile phone properly against the user's head for optimal performance. For example, the user may hold the phone with the microphone away from the user's mouth. This can adversely affect microphone performance, which results in poor detection of the user's voice. Also, the user may hold the phone with the speaker away from the user's ear. This can adversely affect speaker performance, which results in a user not optimally hearing the output of the speaker. Furthermore, the user may hold the phone with the antenna at a varying distance from the user's head. This can adversely affect antenna and transmission performance because of sub-optimal tuning of antenna matching circuitry.
Unfortunately, present mobile communication devices do not address these problems. In particular, present mobile communication devices cannot address these problems because they are unable to detect the positioning of a mobile communication device against a user's head.
Capacitive-based touch pads are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,658, issued on Oct. 15, 1996 to Gerpheide et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,875, issued on Jan. 19, 1999 to Gerpheide, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,528 B1, issued on Apr. 24, 2001 to Gerpheide et al. These touch pads are disclosed as being a replacement for a mouse on both laptop and desktop computers. In particular, these touch pads are disclosed as being particularly useful as replacement pointing devices on computers utilizing full keyboards and displays such as monitors or large LCD displays. These touch pads are only disclosed as being useful for data entry on a computer.
Therefore, there is a need for a means for improving mobile communication device performance. For example, there is a need for improving mobile communication device performance based on detecting external objects that affect the performance of the mobile communication device and adjusting parameters of operation of the mobile communication device to account for the external objects.